Dental appliance.



. BALLENGER.

DENTAL APPLANCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 191s.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

lnentor Witnesses Attorneys COLUMBIA PMNDGRAPH co..WASHlNaTON. D, t:A

NETE@ lleflhl@ PATENT @Fl-@QE CURTIS M. BALLENGER, OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS.

DENTAL APPLIANCE.

Application filed March 25, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CURTIS ll1-BALLnNGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lubbock, in the county of Lubbock and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Dental Appliance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a dental appl1- ance and is more particularly an attachment for dental engines whereby the dental bur of carborundum or the like can be kept cool while in use.

A further object is to provide an attachment of this character the operation of which is constantly under the ready control of the operator who can regulate the'fiow of the cooling medium without changing the position of his hand upon the bur carrying tool.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the attachment in position, the tool holder being shown in position with a bur connected thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the nozzle of the attachment. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line A-B Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line C-D Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the ordinary tool holder of a dental engine and a bur has been indicated at 2.

The attachment constituting the presentinvention includes a combined nozzle and valve of novel form adapted to be attached to the holder 1 by means of bands 3, clips or the like. This attachment has a cylindrical casing 4 formed with a longitudinal passage 5 along the outer side thereof and which communicates with the interior of the casing through a port 6. Passage 5 is extended beyond the closed end of the casing to form a tapered nozzle 7 which, when the attachment is in position on the holder 1, is sup- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

serial no. 756,783.

ported close to the back face of the bur 2. A tubular valve 8 is fitted snugly within the casing 4 and is adapted to rotate therein, this valve being provided with a port 9 adapted to move into and out of register with the port 6 when the valve is rotated within the casing or when the casing is rotated on the valve. The valve 8 is extended beyond one end of the casing and secured to this projecting end is one end of a flexr ble tube 10 which extends to a reservoir 1l. This reservoir is adapted to be supported at a point above the casing 4 so that water will be free to gravitate from the reservoir or tank into the valve S. Casing 4 is provided at its open end with an exteriorly screw threaded head 12 counter-bored as at 13 to form a seat to receive a packing ring 14. An annular flange 15 is formed on the valve 8 and bears against the packing ring 14, said flange being held against the packing by a nut 16 which is counter-bored as shown so as to receive the head 12 and screw thereon. This nut is adapted to bear against the flange 15 as shown in Fig. 2 and when the parts have been tightened, it will be apparent that the escape of water therebetween will be prevented without, however, interfering with the rotation of the valve 8 within the casing 4. A iinger piece 17 extends from the valve 8 back of the head l2 and constitutes means whereby the valve can be rotated so as to shift its port 9 into or out of register with the port 6.

YWhen the device is in use, it extends along the holder 1 and the flexible tube 10 serves to hold the valve 8 normally in closed posit-ion with the port 9 out of register with the port 6. Nozzle Z extends up close to the bur 2 and, whenever it is desired to direct a j et of water against the bur, the operator presses downwardly on the iinger piece 14 so as thus to cause the valve 8 to rotate within the casing and bring the port 9 into register with port 6. TWater will therefore flow downwardly from the tank or reservoir 11 into the passage 5 and thence into the nozzle 7 from which it will be directed against the bur, as shown in Fig. 1.

Attention is called to the fact that the device is very small and compact in construction and will not, therefore interfere with the insertion of the bur and its holder into the mouth of the patient and the proper manipulation of the bur upon the tooth.

It is not necessary for the operator to change the position of his hand upon the holder in order to actuate the linger piece 14.

lvhat is claimed is An attachment for the tool holder of a dental engine, ineluding an elongated casing closed at one end, a nozzle extending beyond said closed end of the casing and along the wall of the easing, said nozzle opening into the casing7 a tubular valve mounted for rotation in the casing and having an annular enlargement abutting against the open end of the casing, there being a port Within the Valve adapted to establish communication between the interior of the valve and the nozzle, means engaging the casing and the annular enlargement for holding the Valve against longitudinal displacement in the casing, a flexible tube connected to one end portion of the valve for directing fluid into the Valve, and a inger piece extending outwardly from the Valve and constituting means for rotating the valve within the casing.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.`

CURTIS M. BALLENGER.

vVitnesses:

J. T. HUTCHINSON, O. F. PEEBLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

